Franklin's Stephen Mayer, above against Immaculata earlier this month scored 14 points to key the Warriors to their eight win in a row, a pivotal triumph over Hillsborough Tuesday. (Andrew Miller/Staff Photographer)

Junior Stephen Mayer scored 14 points as the red-hot Franklin picked off Hillsborough, 55-50, to earn a key win on the eve of the Somerset County Tournament seeding meeting. The Warriors led 45-27 after three quarters, and held off a furious fourth-quarter rally from the Raiders to leapfrog into second place in the Skyland Conference Delaware Division. More importantly, the win gives Franklin a strong case to be seeded third in the SCT, which would mean landing on the opposite side of the bracket from presumptive top seed and county juggernaut Gill St. Bernard’s. After starting 0-2 — including a 12-point loss to the Raiders opening night — the Warriors have rattled off eight wins in a row. Hillsborough, which has lost three in a row, was led by 12 points from junior Devonn Foster.

A little further north, Governor Livingston earned its biggest win to date, stunning Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 65-57 in overtime to hand the Raiders their first Union County Conference Mountain Division loss. Down 42-26 midway through the third quarter, it seemed that the Highlanders were in trouble, but junior Logan Kelley put his team on his back, finishing with 26 points, 19 of which came after halftime. Senior Charles Oliver posted 26 points for the Raiders, including a 3 from the wing to tie the game at 50 heading into overtime. New writer Matt Gentile was there for us, and filed this story[1].

Piscataway hasn’t had too many easy nights this year, but they keep on winning more than they don’t, as Greg Davis’ 12 points complimented a staunch defensive effort in a 38-35 home win over South Brunswick. The win keeps the Chiefs just a game back of first-place St. Joseph, while dropping the Vikings a half-game behind themselves and East Brunswick. Senior Kory Sanders’ nine was the top mark for South Brunswick, which had been averaging 55 points-per-game since the calendar turned to 2011. Paul Franklin ventured out into the cold, when I find a link, I will post it here.

Read on, read on:

AROUND UNION COUNTY: Matt Billups continued a torrid January, scoring 18 points to power Oratory to a big first half in a 62-47 win over Roselle Park; senior Paul Antonucci led everybody with 24 points, but his Panthers trailed 41-20 at halftime … junior Justin Sears posted 20 points and 16 rebounds to lift Plainfield past Cranford, 59-40; Reggie Green scored 15 for the Cougars … senior Joe Meyers led three double-digit scorers with 19 points as New Providence rolled to a 74-38 win over Brearley; Justin Keating topped the Bears with eight points … senior J.R. Pringley tallied 17 points against his former team to power Linden past Elizabeth, 46-31, at the Dunn Center; sophomore Jahad Thomas‘ 14 paced the Minutemen … junior Jameel Warney posted 15 points and 20 boards to help Roselle Catholic avenge a one-point loss to Rahway last month with a 58-52 win over the host Indians, who were led by a season-best 16 points from Jonell Babrow … Samaad Holmes netted 10 points, including four free throws in the final minute to lift Hillside to a 67-65 road win over St. Mary; Rashaun Liggon reeled in 14 points and 22 boards for the Hilltoppers … St. Patrick jumped out to a 19-3 lead after a quarter, but Union held its own from there, 66-45; Michael Gilchrist dropped 32 to power the Celtics, while Lawrence Gill scored 15 for the Farmers.

AROUND THE SKYLAND: Sophomore Steve Weidlich led the way with 15 points as Watchung Hills upset North Hunterdon, 49-37, to earn its first Delaware Division win this season; senior Mike Foster paced the Lions with nine, but they were doomed by a seven-point first half … senior Jake Grady scored 14 points, half of which came in the fourth quarter to help Somerville avoid an upset at the hands of North Plainfield, 51-48; junior Anthony Hubbard tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Canucks, his 10th double-double of the season … senior Peter Cuevas contribued 13 points to the effort as Bound Brook posted its 16th win in as many tries this season, 63-53 over Pingry; the Big Blue were led by 16 points from junior Michael Supron … senior Nick Santalucia recorded 15 points and 18 rebounds to power Immaculata past Bridgewater-Raritan, 55-50, avenging an opening night loss and possibly bolstering their SCT seed; junior Sal Vitello scored a game-high 22 for the Panthers, including a 3 that pulled them within three with a minute to play, but it wasn’t enough … Glen Nanius led the way with 20 points, including six from the free throw line, to pace North Warren to a season sweep of rival Belvidere, 56-43; Jake Chamming’s 17 paced the County Seaters … Mike Diamond scored 19 points, and Phillipsburg earned a piece of revenge by upending Warren Hills, 45-41, to pull even with the third-place Blue Streaks in the loss column in the Raritan Division; Elmer Hernandez topped Warren Hills with 13 points … junior Alex Mitola accounted for three of his team’s 11 3’s, and finished with a team-best 22 points as Gill St. Bernard’s survived Evan Klimchak’s 30-point outburst in a 81-75 win over Hunterdon Central … Ryan McCoy’s 18 points and 11 rebounds helped Montgomery move to 9-0 in Raritan Division play with a 66-53 over Voorhees in Lebanon Township; Sean Keselica tallied 21 for the Vikings.

AROUND THE GMC: Senior C.J. Gray scored 22 points to pace Colonia to its fourth win in a row, 55-38 over Old Bridge, which got 12 points from sophomore Sultan Aminu … junior Will Thomas tallied 18 points, and Cardinal McCarrick outscored South Plainfield by 18 points in the second quarter on its way to a 69-31 White Division win; senior Denzel Mensah led the Tigers with 14 points … senior Mike Walp scored 12 points to pace Monroe within a game of .500 in White Division play with a 45-35 win over Edison; the Eagles’ Markell Barnes matched that game-high with 12 in defeat … sophomore point guard Jonathan Rodriguez netted 11 points to help Perth Amboy snap a three-game slide by beating J.P. Stevens, 41-36; the Hawks were led by 11 points from junior Marvin Crawford … junior Kyle Hughes netted 25 points, outdueling New Brunswick’s Milton Pittman inside to lead Woodbridge to a 69-59 win; Pittman finished with 20 for the Zebras, who won the first meeting between the two in December … junior Dion Rogers scored 18 points, 10 boards and seven assists to keep North Brunswick unbeaten in White Division play with an 81-67 win over Sayreville; Cody VanNote also scored 18 to lead the Bombers … St. Joseph is back in sole possession of first place after a 60-50 win over East Brunswick; junior Quenton DeCosey led all scorers with 29 points for the Falcons, which went on a 15-4 fourth-quarter run to take control, while junior Mike Summerer led the Bears with 12.

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